"We were receiving calls from customers saying 'Hey, I have this tree, and I'm trying to do my part, but I'm afraid my tree might die,'" Bradford says.

The utility company has traditionally offered customers rebates for planting trees that shade homes and cut down on air conditioner use, but that program was suspended.

"Because new trees tend to require a little bit more water," Bradford says.

He says this year, the utility company decided to bring the program back, with a twist.

"Bring it back with an emphasis on keeping the existing trees alive," Bradford says. "Given the drought conditions in the last few years, we decided to suspend (the shade tree) program because we were concerned with the amount of water that residents would be using if they were planting new trees.

Meanwhile, Bradford says some of the shade trees people have invested in are suffering, "and so we decided to partner with the Roseville Urban Forest Foundation."

Consultations are available by appointment and can be done in person, or virtually using online images of people's property.

Bradford says the utility company is picking up the bill as part of its energy efficiency program, which also includes rebates on whole house fans and other household upgrades. He says properly placed shade trees can help reduce summertime cooling costs by up to 40 percent.

Steve is the voice of Capital Public Radio News as anchor of Morning Edition and Insight. He covers stories on a wide range of topics including: business, education, real estate, agriculture and music. Steve also produced stories for CapRadio.org. Read Full Bio